Heartbreaking Square
by kneesofbees
Summary: What happens when Adrien works up the courage to ask his favorite lady out?


_Oh man, I do not write romantic stuff often. But this show has such a fun central dynamic to it that I couldn't resist. Please do offer any critique at all. This sort of emotional impact stuff is something I really need to work on in my writing. I don't own this and all that. Have fun._

* * *

Adrien ran his hand through his hair for probably the hundredth time. He was certain that he was an absolute mess, sitting this close to her. He had felt the flush in his cheeks for the past half an hour and he hadn't been able to stop stuttering. It was funny, he was usually able to talk to Marinette just fine. He had never been the stumbling block in their relationship. It had always been Marinette who stumbled over her words and bolted at the first sign of him.

It had taken a while for Adrien to put it together that Marinette might be interested in him, embarrassingly long if he were to be honest with himself. He had initially taken the girls strange behavior as a sign that she disliked him. A hypothesis that Adrien had to throw out as soon as he started getting to know her. She was kind and understanding to a fault, and always helpful. He couldn't imagine her disliking someone without cause, and he couldn't remember ever wronging her in any way. The more he got to know her, and the more comfortable she got when spending time with him, the more he realized that she was simple embarrassed talking to him.

That revelation led to many others. It felt like every time Adrien turned around he was seeing a new side to his sweet classmate. An empathetic heart, a sharp wit, a brilliant sense of design, hidden athleticism, and an endless well of courage that she freely shared. Adrien couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when Marinette settled into the greater share of his heart, but by now there was simply no denying that it was the case.

Adrien now spent most all of his free time in Marinette's company. She in turn seemed to have gotten used to his presence. They could hold normal conversations, laugh, joke, and even work together. Which is what had led to today's study session in the park. The two were sitting beside each other at a picnic table, pouring over some particularly mind bending equations. Adrien was sure he wasn't being of much assistance in the actually solving of the equations. He was far too busy trying to shore up his courage and settle his failing nerves. Today was the day that he was going to ask Marinette out after all.

"Hey Mari, could we, uh, could we take a break for a second" Adrien managed to get the words out. Marinette looked up with a hint of a question in her sky blue eyes.

"Sure Adrien, you've seemed a little distracted all day, is something the matter?" she asked.

"I wanted to ask you something, I've been putting it off." Adrien said. He could do this, fast like a Band-Aid, just like he practiced.

"Oh?" If Adrien has been a little less worked up, he might have noticed the trepidation in Marinette's voice.

"I like you and want to take you out to a dinner and movie on Friday." Adrien let the words out in a rush. His eyes met Marinette's searching for a reply.

"I-I'm sorry Adrien." His heart froze in his chest at her words, "I'm really sorry, but there is someone else I like." Marinette said, averting her gaze. Oh god, this was really happening.

"It just wouldn't be fair to either of us, I'm really sorry. I don't want to hurt you." Marinette kept talking. Adrien knew that if he didn't speak up she would just keep going. If she said sorry one more time he might break.

"Okay," he cut in quickly. "I understand. I just, I need to be alone for a bit." Adrien lifted himself woodenly off the bench and packed his bags as quickly and efficiently as he could.

"Oh- Right, well I will see you in school tomorrow right?" Marinette sounded so sad that Adrien had to meet her eyes, there was the slight glint of tears there.

"Yeah, I will pull together. Promise" It took everything he had to pull his lips up into a wan little smile. With that he turned on his heel and fled.

* * *

Marinette felt awful for the rest of the afternoon. She felt awful as she finished her math homework. She felt awful while she helped her father package the day olds at the end of the day. She felt awful when she resisted calling Ayla because she couldn't tell the story without giving away the name of the one who she was actually in love with. She felt awful as she discovered the attacks of a new akuma. She felt awful as she chased the evil ballerina across the rooftops. She felt awful as the evil ballerina spun towards her, razor foot held out. She felt awful right up until the moment Chat Noir came flipping onto the scene with a graceful save and a flippant remark.

When Chat arrived, Marinette felt herself falling into their comfortable pattern. By the time they had subdued the vicious ballerina, the storm in her heart had settled. She had made the right decision. As she and Chat shared their usual post battle fist bump she felt for the hundredth time the warmth that the boy instilled in her.

Chat had always been kind, and caring, and brave. He had also been insufferable. Always flirting, always managing to put Marinette in an uncomfortable position without really dropping his shield of humor. Recently however, that had dried up. The young man in the black had become quite respectful, and Marinette had found she liked that very much. Chat was still every bit as irreverent and funny. It's just that now she was always in on the joke. It was probably this factor that tilted the balance in Chat's favor.

Adrien and Chat were alike in many ways. Both lean and handsome, with blonde hair and green eyes. What could she say? Marinette clearly had a type. Both equally caring and kind. The difference was that being with Chat was freeing, whereas being with Adrien was at best, not mortifying. Marinette could share with Chat, laugh with him, play with him in a way she never felt like she could with Adrien, even after she had long grown comfortable with him. Adrien always felt like he was controlling himself and by extension her. Chat felt like he was setting both of them free.

Chat was her partner, he had respected her enough to stop flirting with her, so now it was her turn to initiate something with him. Ladybug laughed under her breath. This was where the mask really came in handy. She could never do something like this as Marinette. She looked over to Chat, who seemed distracted and perhaps even a bit sad as he stared out across the glittering Paris skyline. Time to cheery her kitty up.

She walked up to him. Putting a little swing in her step she stepped up closer than she normally would. She swore she could feel the heat coming off Chat's body in the dusky chill of the Parisian fall. Chat's green eyes popped up to hers as she reached her hand out and ran her finger lightly under his chin.

"Now now _mon petit chat,_ No need for the long face." Ladybug smiled up at Chat Noir through her eyelashes, running her finger under his chin in what she hoped were slow and sensuous circles.

Chat stepped back, quick as lightning. "I'm sorry, M'Lady. I was caught in contemplation. You were as fantastic as ever." Chat said with a polite and heartbreakingly distant smile. "I will see you next time the city needs saving." And with that he was dashing off across the rooftops.

Marinette's heart stopped cold in her chest and her stomach fell into her toes. ''What?"

* * *

 _Some people (namely me) just want to feed on the tears of others._


End file.
